


Spread Thin

by lostcrusades



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Empathy, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:53:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostcrusades/pseuds/lostcrusades
Summary: Dan is tired. Tired of a lot of things.





	Spread Thin

**Author's Note:**

> uh hey this isn't beta read and also me lowkey projecting, but i hope you enjoy regardless !! my tumblr is grumpyhanson if ya wanna follow

All day, Dan had been quiet. 

During the company meeting, he had stayed silent, letting everyone voice their own opinions and only chiming in when he needed to. When lunch had been delivered, he had taken his food outside and ate on the curb as he watched the cars go by. He got through the day by sticking to the sidelines and avoiding people.

Arin watched him from across the room, frowning. Dan was curled up on the stream couch, pressed into the corner farthest away from everyone else. A blanket was wrapped around him tightly as he worked, a vacant look on his face as he stared at the screen of his laptop. 

“Arin,” Brian said, nudging his leg. 

Arin looked down to Brian, his frown worsening. The look on Brian’s face mimicked his own. He must have seen Arin staring at Dan rather than listening to what Brian was saying. 

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Arin asked, giving Brian an apologetic smile.

Brian shook his head then looked toward Dan.

“It doesn’t matter, it can wait. Go check on him. We’ll talk later, okay?”

Arin stared at Brian for a moment, still feeling bad about spacing out, but nodded anyway. He pat Brian on the shoulder before walking over to where Dan was located. A scowl had seemed to materialize on Dan’s face and now he was almost glaring at his laptop screen. The music playing in his headphones was cranked so loud that Arin could hear it as he got closer.

Once Dan saw Arin out of the corner of his eye, he tried to fake a small smile, but his eyes were still dull. Arin’s heart ached. 

Dan slid his headphones off as Arin drew nearer. “What’s up, man?” Arin stared at him for a moment, silent. The small smile on Dan’s face quickly faded, a look of concern replacing it. “Arin?”

Arin took a deep breath then gestured toward his office. “Can you come with me for a second?”

Dan’s face fell but he nodded. He slid his laptop off his lap and climbed out of his makeshift nest, following after Arin. 

Once they got to Arin’s office, Arin let Dan walk in first then shut the door behind them. Dan stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching as Arin moved to sit to sit on his ottoman, patting the space next to him. He sat down hesitantly, looking down at his hands.

“Are you doing okay, man? You’ve been quiet today. I’m worried about you,” Arin said, placing a hand on Dan’s leg carefully. Arin watched as Dan’s nails dug into his knee, his chest heaving with a deep breath.

“I’m just tired,” Dan said after a couple moments of silence.

Arin scowled. “If you need a day off-”

“No. I’m not tired in that way. I’m just _tired_. Of everything.” Dan groaned, placing his head in his hands, tugging on his hair as some sort of grounding force.

Arin shifted so he was sitting criss-cross, facing Dan, watching him carefully. 

“Can you elaborate a tiny bit?”

Dan huffed out a fake laugh and stood up suddenly, making Arin jump. He started pacing back and forth.

“You know me, dude. I try so hard to be kind and empathetic. If someone has had a bad day, I want to be that rock for them. If someone needs a shoulder to cry on, or for someone to listen, I’m that guy,” Dan said. He paused then, and looked at Arin, eyes shining with unshed tears. “But that level of empathy fucks me over. So many people take advantage of that and it runs me ragged.”

Arin opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. 

Dan continued and went back to pacing. “I’m so tired of being mistreated and kicked around just because I try to be kind. My time and energy is taken for granted. I’m taken for granted. It’s so exhausting trying to be a good person in people’s lives when it keeps screwing me over and I end up hurt.”  Dan’s voice cracked and Arin was stuck, watching as Dan proceeded to break down in his office. He tried to say something else, but the next thing that came out of his mouth was a sob. 

Arin stood up immediately and crossed the room, pulling Dan to his chest and wrapping his arms around Dan’s waist. Dan threw his arms around Arin’s neck, holding him tightly as he cried into Arin’s neck. 

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Arin said softly, running his hands up and down Dan’s back.

It took a lot to make Dan genuinely upset, so Arin knew this must have been a long time coming. He knew that Dan prided himself on his kindness, but never knew that it caused him this much pain.

After a few minutes of Arin continuing to comfort Dan, he managed to coax Dan onto the ottoman with him, the two of them sitting next to each other as Dan leaned on Arin’s shoulder. Their hands were intertwined and were resting on Arin’s leg.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get that upset. This has just been bothering me for a long time now,” Dan said, his voice quiet. 

Arin squeezed Dan’s hand and turned to press a kiss to the top of Dan’s head. 

“Hey. Don’t ever apologize. This is something that’s obviously been bothering you for a while, and I would rather you talk about it than keep it bottled up,” Arin said. “Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to tell me.”

Dan smiled and pressed a kiss to Arin’s shoulder. “You’re one of the few people I feel comfortable telling this to. But, yeah. I haven’t even talked to Brian about this yet.”

Arin laughed softly. “Well, I’m sure Brian will have better advice than I will, as he always seems to, but I just want you to know that I’m proud of you. I know this is shitty and it hurts, but I’m proud of you for making it through all of this.”

Dan squeezed Arin’s hand, but continued listening.

“The world needs as much kindness as it can get. It’s not your fault for the way people treat you. Those kind of people will come and go, and it sucks, but in the end, you’re the better person, and I’m proud of you for sticking to who you are and what you believe in. You’re amazing and strong, and I am so glad to know you,” Arin finished, voice quiet but sincere. 

Dan sat up from where he was leaning on Arin’s shoulder and reached his hand up to cup Arin’s cheek, bringing him in for a soft kiss. It lasted maybe a second, but the softness of it made Arin’s heart flutter, partly from relief and partly from the tenderness of the action.

“Thank you. I love you. So much,” Dan said quietly, smiling at Arin softly. 

Arin smiled back and pressed a kiss to Dan’s forehead. “I love you too.”


End file.
